Thermal motor



Jan. 23, 195 1 c. s. DAYTON 2,539,185

THERMAL MOTOR Filed Dec. 29, 1949 Inventor: Carl S. Dagoon,

His Attorne Patented Jan. 23, 1951 s PATENT OFFICE.

THERMAL .MOTOR Carl S. Dayton, Bridgeport,'0onn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application December 29, 1949, Serial No. 135,739

1 Claim.

This invention relates to thermal motors and, in particular, to a thermal motor that is operated by the heating and cooling action of a bimetallic strip. In many applications, such as timers for toasters or for regulating the length of egg boiling, it is desirable to have a slow speed motor to operate a switch that controls the duration of heat to an electric appliance.

Heretofore, the desired slow speed of operation has been obtained by combining a highspeed motor and a reducing gear. Gear trains,

howevenare expensive and sometimes are cumpact and that involves the use of no complicated.

ratios.

Broadly, this invention comprises a device for cyclically heating and cooling a bimetallic strip which, in turn, through means of an over-running clutch, intermittently drives a rotatable shaft at a slow speed.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent and the invention will be more clearly understood from the following description referring to the accompanying drawing, and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of the thermal motor, which isthe subject matter of this invention; Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams indicating the operative stages of the elements of this invention.

Referring to the drawing, a base plate I is shown having the operative elements of this invention mounted on it. A bimetallic element 2 is mounted on plate I by a bracket 3 and one end of element 2 is prevented from deflecting relative to bracket 3 by an adjustable stop 4, which contains a screw 5 for regulating the position of the end of the bimetallic element. A heating resistor 6 is wrapped around, or otherwise secured, to bimetallic element 2 in a manner that imparts heat to the bimetallic element, causing it to defleet. One end of resistor 6 is connected by lead 1 directly to a power supply (not shown), while the other end of resistor 6 is connected by lead 8 to a terminal 9. An electrical conducting column spring l0, when in the closed position, electrically connects terminal 9 with a contact II which, in turn, is connected by conductor IE to the power supply. In the position indicated in Fig. 1, then, current flows through conductor I, through resistor B, through conductor 8 to terminal 9, through column switch I0 to contact I I and thence back to the power supply. In this position, the bimetallic element 2 is being heated by resistor 6.

Column spring I0 is rigidly secured to terminal 9 at one end and to a bracket l3 at the other end. The length of column spring Ill is somewhat greater than the distance between terminal 9 and bracket l3; consequently, when a portion 14 of the spring is moved to one side or the other of an imaginary straight line that connects terminal 9 and bracket I3, a snap action is imparted to a section I5 of the column spring adjacent contact II. In other words, as portion I4 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 across the imaginary straight line joining terminal 9 and bracket I3, a snap action is imparted to section 15, causing it to break away from contact II and rest against a stop I6, secured to plate I on the opposite side of column spring I I] from contact II.

A compression spring I1, mounted between a support I8 and portion I4 of column spring It biases portion l4 towards the position indicated in Fig. 1, thereby closing the circuit between terminal 9 and contact II.

A rigid operating rod I9, which includes a shoulder and an extended portion of reduced diameter on each end, is positioned between end 25.5 of bimetallic element 2 and portion I l of column spring I0. When element 2 is heated, end 26 pushes on shoulder Ziia of rod IS while shoulder Zla pushes on portion I4 of column spring 90. Support I8 includes a bearing I8a that guides the axial movement of an extension 2| on rod I9. Extension 2|, in turn, axially aligns spring I'I, maintaining it in position to apply a continuous bias on portion I4 of'column spring I0. As bimetallic element 2 is heated, it bends about bracket 3 towards column spring I0 causing operating rod I9 to push against portion I4 of column spring Ill to the extent that portion l4 crosses the imaginary line connecting terminal 9 and bracket I3, whereupon section I5 of the column spring snaps away from contact II to break the circuit to resistor 6. When bimetallic element 2 is no longer being heated, it tends to return to its original position, shown in Fig. l, and the force of spring I! on portion M of column spring l helps return end 28 of element 2 to its original position. As portion [4 crosses the center line, section, I5 of column spring restores the circuit to resistor 6 and another cycle is started.

A dial 22 is rigidly secured to a shaft 23 that is rotatably mounted on base plat I adjacent operating rod IS. A pair of over-running clutches 24 and 25 are mounted on shaft 23. Clutch 24 includes an arm 26 secured to apin 21 that is fastened to base I. Clutch 24 permits clockwise rotation of shaft 23, as viewed'from dial 22, but prevents counterclockwise rotation includes arm 28, is employed to drive shaft 23" clockwise, but clutch 25 releases when arm 28 is moved counterclockwise, as viewed from the top. With this arrangement, then, if arm 28 is cyclically moved clockwise and then counterclockwise over a predetermined path, an intermittent clockwise rotation is given to shaft 23 anddial 22.

A pin 29 extends verticall downward toward plate I from the outer end of arm 28. A spring 30 connects pin 29 with an upright support 3| that is fixed to base I. Spring 33 pulls against pin 29 to maintain it constantly in slidable contact with end of bimetallic element 2. The arm 28 is initially positioned with the pin 29 against the bimetallic element in its undefiected position so that the initial deflecting movement of the end of the bimetallic element initiates rotation of dial 22. When the bimetallic element is cooling. and. returning to the position shown in Fig. 1, spring 30 pulls pin 29, maintaining it in constant contact with the bimetallic element. Consequently, as bimetallic element 2 goes through its cyclic deflecting motions, it imparts an intermittent clockwise rotation to shaft 23 and dial 22.

A collar 32' is rigidly secured to operating red I!) while a cooperating cam 33 is secured to and rotatable with shaft 23. When cam 33 makes substantially a complete clockwise revolution from its position indicated in Fig. 1, it engages collar 32, driving it towards support [8 and forcing portion 54 of column spring I8 across the imaginary line between terminal 9 and bracket l3 which causes section of the column spring to snap away from contact l l to interrupt the circuit to resistor 6. Under these conditions;

cam 33 looks section I5 of the column spring in the open position and the dial cannot turn again until cam 33 is manually turned past its engagement with collar 32 to the position indicated in Fig. 1, and thereupon bimetallic element 2 again takes control and drives shaft 23' another complete revolution.

In order to explain. more clearl the operation of this invention, reference is made to Figs. 2', 3 and 4. Fig. 2 designates the condition of the elements when current is first supplied to resistor 6. Specifically, bimetallic element 2 is in its cooled positionand column spring Ill has closed thecircuit, allowing current to pass throughresistor 6. column spring ID to the normally closed position, and spring 3|] is maintaining arm 28 in contact with bimetallic element 2'. As resistor 6 In Fig. 2, spring I! is shown pushing heats bimetallic element 2, it deflects, pushing arm 28, which rotates shaft 23, and pushing operating rod l9 and portion 14 of column spring I0 until portion 14 crosses the imaginary line joining terminal 9 and bracket 13.

Fig. 3 indicates what happens after portion l4 crosses the imaginary line. Specifically, section 15 snaps away from contact ll, opening the circuit to resistor 6 and allowing the bimetallic element to cool. During the cooling process, springs l1 and 30 indirectly act onelement 2 to help restore it to its normal position. The cooling stage continues until portion 14 of column spring I0 once again crosses the imaginary line, whereupon the combined actions of spring I1, spring 38 and column spring l0 act to restore the bimetallic element to its normal position. As the bimetallic element returns to its normal position, section- [5- of column spring 10 closes on contact ll, whereupon resistor 6 again heats bimetallic element 2.

Fig. 4 shows the operation of cam 33 on collar 32. Specifically, since shaft 23 cannot be rotated counterclockwise, neither can cam 33, which is secured to it. While spring I! tends to restore column spring [0 to the normally closed position, its motion is restrained by the action of cam 33 on collar32. As the bimetallic element continues to cool, end 20 slides along extension 34 and away from shoulder 21m. Manual clockwise rotation of cam 33 beyond the point of its engagement with collar 32 permits spring ll to force operating rod l9 towards element 2 until shoulder 20a again comes in contact with element 2. Simultaneously, section l5 of spring I0 closes on contact II and the cyclic heating of the bimetallic element is again initiated.

Screw 5, which extends through adjustable stop 4, provides a means for regulating the displacement, or stroke length of end 20 of element 2. Naturally, the strokelength directly affects the amount that shaft 23 is turned by clutch 25 and arm 28. The adjustment of the stroke length is provided by adjusting the position of screw 5 in stop 4. As the screw is extended through the stop, thestroke length is decreased and withdrawing the screw from the stop increases the strokelength.

Modifications of' this invention will occur to those skilled in the art and it is desired to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not to be limited to the particular arrangement disclosed, but that the appended claim is meant to cover all modifications which are within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a thermal motor, a bimetallic element having a freely movable end, a heating resistor intimately associated with said bimetallic element adapted to heat said element and cause deflection of said freely movable end, means for cyclically supplying current to said resistor comprising a column spring, a switch operated by said column spring having a circuit open and a circuit closed position, and means interposition'ed between the freely movable end of said bimetallic element and said column spring to open said switch when said bimetallic element is deflected by heating and to close said switch when said bimetallic element is cool, a rotatable shaft, means for preventing said shaft from rotating inton direction while permitting a free rotation in the opposite direction} said shaft rotating means including. an over-running. clutch operat 2,539,185 5 6 I ing in response to the deflection or said bime- REFERENCES CITED tallic element to cyclically rotate said shaft uni- The following references are of ire'cord in the directionally in response tothe cyclic deflection of this Patent, of said bimetallic element and an arm rigidly secured to said shaft for holding said interposi- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS tioned means in a position to maintain said 001- Number Name Date umn spring in the open switch position after 1,492,450 Gregory Apr. 29,1924 said shaft has made substantially one comple e 2,066,145 Fink Dec. 29, 1936 revolution. 2,418,831 Hamilton Apr. 15, 1947 CARL S. DAYTON- 2,444,529 Puster July 6, 1948 

